Darrel Hensel
photo© Greg Epperson
The late seventies and early eighties saw a climber named Darrel hence often at the crags. Darrel’s abilities to climb the steep face climbs on “dimes” is well documents. Along with Kevin Powell, Rob Muir, John Long to name a few, he practiced and mastered his technique at local bouldering area Mt. Rubidoux. His ascent of the Ishi bolt ladder at Suicide is a feat that even today is astonishing. Henny or the Climbing Rooster are assigned nicknames.
His lamb-chop sideburns and his focus and dedication to hard, steep, edge-climbing are Darrel’s legacy.
Darrel’s real legacy is his outstanding and outrageously difficult face climbs at Taquitz and Suicide, some are even unrepeated. Now living outside of Bishop at an old chicken ranch, (coincidence?) he continues to climb often and at a high level. He has done almost all the climbs at the Owens River Gorge.
